MTS today announced a new customer care initiative ‘MTS on Wheels’ for West Bengal wherein MTS branded buses are to travel across the state, addressing all customer needs related to voice and data services.
The service, launched in West Bengal, will be a month long activity starting today from Kolkata and will complete its journey at Burdwan in August. MTS has a customer base of 11 lakh in the state.
Keshhav Tiwary, chief operating officer, Kolkata and West Bengal, Sistema Shyam TeleServices, said in a company statement, “This unique initiative was conceived to ensure MTS reaches out to more and more people in the state of West Bengal and provides them with high quality services offered by MTS.”
The bus will comprise of all the facilities available to customers at MTS branded retail outlets across the country. There are different zones in the buses viz. instant activation zone, instant recharge zone, display zone, VAS zone, data product zone, customer service zone and play & win zone to cater to customer needs.
Various discounts and gifts will be offered to customers availing MTS connections from these buses. Customers can also avail instant recharge facilities from the recharge zone and take demos from the VAS zone. In the data product and display zone, customers can experience the quality of data services through free browsing and will be given discounts on purchase of data products.
Mumbai-based operator Loop Mobile had introduced a similar service in March which allowed subscribers to activate connections, buy recharge coupons and pay bills at vans positioned in their locality, instead of having to go to a Loop Mobile outlet.
MTS’ new customer care initiative for West Bengal
Docomo offers free calls to Andhra subscribers
Tata Docomo, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL), has launched an offer of unlimited calls to its Andhra Pradesh customers.
The Voice Free Recharge vouchers allow customers to make free calls, both local and STD, subject to a fair usage policy, to any network in India. However, they will be charged for data usage at one paisa per KB. Under the fair usage policy, prepaid subscribers will be able to use 2,400 seconds per day to make free local and STD calls till the coupon’s validity period.
NV Subbarao, regional head, south east, Tata Docomo, said, “The new voucher has been introduced keeping in mind the various usage needs of our customers, especially the student segment and customers in the age group of 18 to 24 who are heavy mobile internet users. By offering free 2,400 seconds usage daily, they (users) are free from voice tariff rates and it gives them freedom to utilise talktime for data usage. This is a unique way to increase adoption of internet at the same time offering value based voice free offer.”
Recharge vouchers are available in three denominations of Rs 200, Rs 350 and Rs 500, with validity of 10 days, 20 days and 30 days, respectively.
Idea launches services for roaming subscribers
Idea Cellular has introduced a value added service that offers customers information about local businesses while they roam.
The Roamer Infoline service is an interactive voice response (IVR) based service with SMS integration, which offers roamers in any Idea network, across India, information pertaining to hotels, restaurants, pharmacies, shopping malls, ATMs, coffee shops etc. that are present where the subscriber happens to be.
The customer, while roaming, needs to dial 56665 and follow the IVR, and the information being sought for by him will be sent to his handset in an SMS.
The service is available to all Idea and non-Idea customers who catch the Idea network across India, except in Jammu & Kashmir, North-East, Haryana and Assam circles, where the service is currently not available. The charges are Rs 3 per minute.
Vodafone launches bonus cards for Rs 4
Telecom major Vodafone Essar today launched its new bonus card, which will help subscribers send 100 local and national SMS or make local/STD calls for 8 minutes, at a price tag of Rs 4.
Priced at Rs 4, the offer is the lowest cost card currently available in the market and is aimed at enabling more people at the grass-root level to stay connected, Vodafone said in a statement.
By choosing to deduct Rs 4 from their available talktime, subscribers can get 8 local/STD minutes, calls at 30 paise per minute (to another Vodafone user), 40 minutes of local night calling (to another Vodafone user) or send 100 local/national SMSes. The card will be valid for one day.
“We are delighted to launch the most economical bonus offer available in the market. This marks the democratisation of bonus cards, empowering more and more customers to exercise choices at a highly affordable price point of Rs 4,” Vodafone Essar Chief Marketing Officer Kumar Ramanathan said.
Bluetooth version 4.0
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced the adoption of Bluetooth Core Specification version 4.0. The new specification enables low energy consumption and faster data transfer speeds.
Bluetooth 4.0 builds on the improvements made to Bluetooth 3.0+HS, but allows Bluetooth radios to operate using much less power. The spec is meant to allow small devices such as watches, Sensors or medical monitors, operate efficiently. It will also works in mobile phones. Now that the core spec has been approved, device and equipment makers can move forward with plans that include Buetooth 4.0 features.
“Designed for devices which require low cost and low power wireless connectivity, the qualification is a step ahead of the previous version 2.0. The hallmark feature of the v4.0 Bluetooth core specification is powered on standard coin-cell batteries and is pocket-friendly (inexpensive). Apart from this, it provides multi-vendor interoperability and an augmented range. Consuming low power to a commendable degree, the version emerges to be an improvisation for Bluetooth-enabled products”, said the press statement.
This new protocol is specifically designed to fit into even very small devices. Devices like key chains, USB drives, pocket watches and RFID metro cards can shortly have Bluetooth in them.
“The finalisation of Bluetooth low energy wireless technology within the core specification is a monumental achievement. Bluetooth wireless technology can now, with the hard work of our members and our world-class qualification program, really do it all,” said Michael Foley, executive director, Bluetooth SIG, in a press statement.
A Bluetooth SIG qualification can be attained by members who want to qualify their Bluetooth product types to the version 4.0 specification. Members need to participate in an advanced training lab and services program for intensive and hands on testing and qualification training.
Devices with the new standard will take at least one year to appear in the market.
Samsung launches Galaxy i899 with Reliance Mobile
As reported by Telecom Yatra earlier Samsung Mobiles has announced the launch of Samsung Galaxy i899 in partnership with Reliance Mobile in a bid to enhance its CDMA handset portfolio.
The CDMA device runs on Google’s Android operating system and promises data speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps to Reliance Mobile customers. Galaxy i899 will have Android Market, an online applications store developed by Google for Android devices, installed on it.
The touchscreen device will enable access to social networking sites such as Facebook, Orkut, MySpace, YouTube as well as Gmail, GTalk and Google Maps. Other features include 3.2 megapixel camera, media player, memory expandable to 32GB and Wi-Fi support.Ranjit Yadav, director, mobile and IT, Samsung Electronics, said in a company statement, “With this association we hope to target a large consumer base of Reliance Mobile subscribers by offering them the feature rich Galaxy i899. Applications from the Android Market can be easily downloaded and installed on to the Galaxy i899.”
Reliance Mobile customers upgrading to Samsung Galaxy i899 will also get free data usage on Reliance Netconnect Broadband+: 10GB for one month for prepaid customers and 15 GB per month for two months for post paid subscribers. The handset is priced at Rs 19,900.
Google updates YouTube for mobile devices
Google has announced the launch of an update for its YouTube mobile web site. The company aims to enhance users’ experience across devices with this step.
YouTube for mobile devices was launched in 2007 with about 1,000 videos available on the mobile site, but it had mobile Browser and hardware limitations. Hence, the company announced an update of the site which is meant to make YouTube faster and friendlier for touch devices, such as the Apple iPhone and handsets that run on Google’s own operating system Android. The App will incorporate features such as search query suggestions, the options to create playlists, the ability to favourite videos, and the ability to like or dislike videos directly from the handheld device. Also, improvements made to YouTube.com will be immediately updated on the mobile site as well.
The company stated that YouTube consumption on mobile devices has seen considerable growth with a 160 per cent increase in playbacks in 2009 over the previous year. YouTube mobile now receives more than 100 million video playbacks a day. This is roughly the number of daily playbacks that YouTube.com was streaming when it joined forces with Google in 2006.
Motorola launches Android-based Charm in the USA; not expected in India soon
Motorola has announced the launch of its new Android handset Charm exclusively for T-Mobile customers in the USA.
The 2.8 inch touch screen phone, based on Android 2.1, comes with a combination of full QWERTY keyboard and an advanced version of Motoblur, which syncs contacts, posts, messages and photos from sources such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Gmail, work and personal emails.
According to a company spokesperson, the phone is not expected to be launched in India very soon. The company declined to divulge any further details.
Affle to launch two new messaging applications
Affle, a mobile media company headquartered in Singapore, plans to launch two new applications to fuel its growth in India after the success of its App SMS 2.0. The two new applications, SMS Live and Pinch, are to be launched this quarter.
Talking about the applications, Anuj Kumar, executive director, South Asia, Affle, explains, “We are planning to launch two applications this quarter which we are very excited about.”
He added, “While the SMS Live application will create a paradigm shift in terms of how Messaging and social networking are used on mobiles, the other application, Pinch, aims at giving a value added experience to the users. Pinch will give them cost benefits and also create a lot of location based and other social gaming based services around it.”
Although these applications will be launched globally, Affle intends to focus especially on marketing to get more users in India.
The company is also evaluating the idea of building an R&D centre in India. The company plans to invest over $10 million globally for R&D with key focus on India, China and Indonesia, and will then look at Australia and other western European markets. Currently, its R&D and product development is headquartered in Singapore. It plans to centralise its global technology operations in India and hopes to be able to work on the same by the end of this year.
Affle had earlier set up office in Bangalore and Mumbai with an aim to service customers better. In India, they intend to invest in technologies which are specific to the country. Kumar shares that India contributes more than 50 per cent of the company’s total revenue, making it significant for their current positioning as well as growth.
The company is already present in markets such as Indonesia, Singapore, India, Thailand and Malaysia, and recently forayed into China and Australia as well. Kumar adds, “China and Australia are high potential markets. While China is huge in terms of scale and number of users, Australia is far less in numbers but has very high value users, given the amount of ARPU they contribute.”
Opera software update Mini 5 browser
Opera Software today launched the latest version of its popular mobile web Browser Opera Mini. The Opera Mini 5.1 is an update to the existing Opera Mini 5 browser.
The update includes a new optimised browser skin allowing for more pages to be open at the same time and more rapid scrolling through pages. The company believes that the updated version will improve the mobile web browsing experience with limited memory requirements. Hence, it will benefit users who have low phone memory, or need to reload open web pages while surfing with Opera Mini 5.
The updated version is recommended for use on Nokia S40 devices such as Nokia 5130 XpressMusic, Nokia 6300 and Nokia 2700. Opera Mini 5.1 will also benefit phones with a small screen size, such as the Sony Ericsson K550i and Sony Ericsson W810i. The update is not critical for Opera Mini users on smartphones or high end devices.
Opera Mini compresses data by up to 90 per cent before displaying content on the phone. This compression dramatically reduces data load, which translates to lower browsing costs when on a pay-per-MB data plan, especially while Roaming stated the press release.
Lars Boilesen, chief executive officer, Opera Software, said in a company statement, “The goal with Opera Mini is to make the web available to anyone, anywhere, regardless of where they come from or the handset they have. More than 61 million people on over 3,000 devices have chosen to surf the web with Opera Mini for fast and easy internet access at a considerably lower cost.”